The word 金钱 is formed through the conceptual combination of two ancient and fundamental ideas of value. The first character, 金 (jīn), originally meaning "metal" and specifically "gold", represents the tangible, intrinsic, and traditional store of wealth, the precious material itself. The second, 钱 (qián), originally a term for a specific type of ancient bronze currency and later meaning "coin" or "money", represents the functional medium of exchange used in transactions. By fusing these two characters, the compound captures the complete essence of monetary value, blending the concept of the precious substance (金) that underpins value with the concept of the circulating currency (钱) that facilitates commerce, thus embodying the full idea of "money" in both its material and functional forms.